Bottle-sealing device



Patented Dec. 26, i922.,

i lgtttyltt `'rnc-luiis caanfrnnn, or woncnsrnn, itrasszicnusnr'rs.y

:BOTTLE-ensuite :envien s Application niet?. September 3, `1.921. .SerialNo. 498,324.

This inventionrelates to a device for sealing` bottles and jars containingl root beer or anycarbonated beverage or any liquid that may .generate gas andycausepressure to be exerted on the sealing means. i

it the present tiine the usual ways oit temporarily sealing bottles that are put up in the home is to apply the so-called crown seal or soins equivalent thereof with the use oi' mechanism 'which 'resultsin breaking a large per cent of bottlesyorelse the application of a cork together .with a wire or the like for holding itv down which is uncertain and consumes a great kdeal of tiine. ln canning' bythe coldpackimethod. the jars are sealed by the use of alever ywhich necessitates reaching down into boiling water.

The prinoipalobject of this invention is to provide a device which can beapplied to a bottle or jar very easily without the use of any complicated mechanism and therefore without endangering the breakage of the bottle, and at the same time provide it in such torno that it will be so inexpensive that it can be used practically ior this purpose while a single device is also capable ot' use over and over again. Another .object ot the invention is to providea device which can be used for sealing canning j ars, operating under the cold pack system, in such a way as to avoid the necessity ot reaching down into the hot water, even for an in# stant.

Reference is to be had to the accoifnpany-` ing' dra-wings, in which- Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectionalview ot' a preferred tori/n ot the invention shown in sealingposition;

Fig. 2 is a. side view of the saine7 and Fig. 3 is a plan.

In the form illustrated, the invention is applied to a sealing elementlin the form of a cap 10 having a rubber or other `soit covn ering 11 which is designed to rest on the top of the bottle or jar. lt has yto be pressed against it with suiiicient force to prevent the entrance of air or the escape of gas. This cap 10 is provided with a swivelsoclret 12 for receiving the swivel end ot an operating screw 13; This screw has j a. thumb nut 14 integrally or otherwise fixedly secured to it. rEhe screw fits in a nut 15 which has a conical exterior surface preterably. i f `For holding the device on the bottle or jar .l provide a pair of levers 2O.` These are shown as formed ot ,sheet inetal and they have jaws 21 at the bottoni adapted to engage under the topbead of the bottle or jar and located diainetrically opposite each other. These sheet nietal levers and jaws al- .inostsurround the top of thebottle in the torni shown.` frlfhey are provided with ears projecting toward each other and diainetrically oppos1te.` Eachpair otl ears is vconnected by pivot stud 23," these two pivot studs beingl in alignment witheach other dianietrically.

.lt is to be noted that the levers 20 vslant nvmrdly` Atoward the top so that they fit heconi'cal surit'ace ot the nut 1 5 which they 'it is 4to `be observed `also that the ole device consists ot two units, iirst that w one composed of the parts 11,118 and 15, and seconch that `composed of the lever 20,"and oif'f coursev1 connectedparts." rlhese two units are mounted independently `of each' other so 1.:hat'the device can beinade to iit bottles and jaws of different sizes and shapes without any adjustment except the location of the nut 15 in proper placealong the screw.

yThere is no positive connection of the levers 2O with the screw 13 and its connected parts. in the operation ot the device the screw and nut `are placed inside the levers with the nut raised as far as may be considered necessary, Then the whole device is placed over the top oi the bottle or jar and the jaws 21 et the levers placed under the bead as indicated in the drawings, Now, the scre'wjis turned down to force the cap7 or its covering. into firm contact with the top ot the bottle or jar. @n account of the friction of the nut 15 on the concave surfaces ot theupper ends of the levers 20 the nut is prevented from turning but the rotation ot the screw has the eiifect of forcing.f the cap 10 and the nut 15 apart. This obviously forces the cap into intimate contact with the `top oi the jar or bottle and forces the nut outwardly or upwardly. This has the effect of forcing' the levers 2O outwardly at the top and forcing the jaws 21 in at the bottorn. This effectively holds all parts in position andyet when' it is desired' tol openl a bottle orjar' iti can be done siinply byfturn ing the screw to the left.

lt will be seen further that the generation simply tend to force the jaws 21 more-,firmlyinto engagement with its top and thus there is no chance of the pressure resulting inthe' blowing oil' of the whole device. There is also no danger oi" breaking the bottle be# cause ther aws 2l` wher'eA the pressure isi: ap# plied extendf almost all? the wayl around; it and pressure is'not exerted at any onepomt oreven atrthetwo opposite points, while'tlie pressure ot the cap 10 on the top of thebottle is exerted in.' thef direction of its i length where it is the' strongest; The device is easilg7 applied and can be used' 'for sealing bottles and for canning: purpo'sesla'nd it is especially adaptedor those usesn which it is notvtobezretained on theib'ottleror jar for any great` length1 ofi time. It can be used over and overa-ndi doesiiotrequire the enii ployment' of any externa-'l niechanical device. c

` A'lthougghilfy have` illustrated and described only ai single forin of' the invention; I' ani aware for" the fact that modifications'lcanbe made therein by any person skilled in the art` without departing from'lthe scope'of the in vention as expressed i in the claims.y

Therefore; l do not wish to be limite-d to allitherdetails of construction o'r to the'partioula-r type-r of receptacle to whichl'have shown i it applied; but`l WhatV I' do 'claimf is V:-

l; In" af device for sealingfbottlesand jars,

i thercombination of a cap, adapted to rest` on the top `of the' receptacleto which'it is: ap-

plied, a screwV swiveledtothe cap for` holding it down, aconioal nut on the screw having"y its large end down and arranged to be moved up by Athe turning of the screw to lioldthe cap down,4 Aand a` pair of levers piv- .entendingupwardly therefrom and swiveled thereto; ai nut on the screw adaptedI to 'be raised by turningthe screw in a direction to force the cap downen the receptacle, a pair' of levers independent of said screw cap and nut butk substantially surrounding them and having" convergingupwardly eX- tending,` arms engaging the outer surfe ce of the nut, whereby the raisingv of the nut will force said arinsoutwardly at the top, said levers having'iaws at the bottoni-for engaging the 'neck or' the receptacle and being` pivoted together at a pointebetween the jaws andlconverfgingr arms,Y whereby the lowering of the cap and the raising oi, the nut will ilorce said jawstogetherztogrip theoutside of the receptacle. y

lntestiinony whereoil l have hereunto afixed' my signature.

THOMAS' 'cimefrniin y 

